Calgary 
The Alberta Living Wage Network has released its 2025 report outlining the hourly wages residents in different Alberta communities need to earn to maintain a modest standard of living.
Unlike the provincial minimum wage of $15 per hour, the living wage represents the actual hourly rate required for a household to meet essential needs, covering food, housing, transportation, child care, and participation in community life, after accounting for taxes and government transfers.
Credit: Alberta Living Wage
Using the Ontario Living Wage Network’s methodology, the calculations are based on the cost of living for three household types: a two-parent family with two children, a lone parent with one child, and a single adult living alone. These groups are weighted respectively at 33.9%, 9.5%, and 56.5% to reflect a realistic mix of household types across Alberta.
The living wage varies by location due to regional differences in housing prices, transportation, and child care costs, as well as local economic conditions. The measure goes beyond survival, reflecting what is needed for a basic but decent quality of life and to participate in one’s community.
2025 Alberta Living Wage
The 2025 Alberta Living Wage varies widely across the province, ranging from $18.15 in Medicine Hat to $31.80 in Jasper.
Major urban centres such as Calgary ($26.50), Edmonton ($22.30), and Airdrie ($29.00) reflect higher living costs, while smaller communities like Cold Lake ($19.10) remain lower.
Key cost pressures driving increases include child care, housing, and transportation. Per the report, the provincial shift to a flat parent fee model for toddlers has left most families paying more; in Grande Prairie, toddler care rose from $432 to $3,915 per month, raising the living wage by 4.6%. Shelter costs also climbed in many regions, rent for a three-bedroom unit in Airdrie rose from $2,024 to $2,564, contributing to an 8.3% wage increase.
Transportation costs increased due to higher insurance caps (up to 7.5% for 2025/26), steeper financing rates (8.99% for low-income borrowers), and more commuting as workplaces return to in-person operations.
2025 Alberta Living Wage Across 21 Alberta Cities and Towns
- Airdrie: $29.00
- Barrhead: $21.55
- Bonnyville: $22.15
- Brooks: $22.00
- Calgary: $26.50
- Cold Lake: $19.10
- Drayton Valley: $20.35
- Edmonton: $22.30
- Fort McMurray: $23.00
- Grande Prairie: $21.80
- High River: $23.40
- Jasper: $31.80
- Lethbridge: $22.30
- Lloydminster, AB/SK: $21.65
- Medicine Hat: $18.15
- Red Deer: $20.65
- Rocky Mountain House: $21.85
- Special Areas: $21.25
- Spruce Grove: $23.70
- St. Albert: $25.60
- Stony Plain: $24.30
Detailed information on the methodology and calculation by Alberta Living Wage Network is given here.
